Northeast Ohio Information Technology & Enterprise Architects (NEO-ITEA)

Unifying IT Vision Through Enterprise Architecture A model for Strategic Alignment

Presentation To: “Integrate 2010: Uniting the World of IT”Benku Thomas, Nour Laaroubi, & Joseph StarwoodJune 25, 2010

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Abstract

To develop a unified vision of IT activities and investments, it is essential that IT be aligned with the business at the strategic level. Such strategic alignment requires multi-year IT visioning and planning while being responsive to on-going business and operational needs. We outline a model to bridge multi-year strategic planning and execution with existing processes for short- term asset management, project planning and solution delivery. Its iterative nature allows for adjusting to changing business needs as well as the ever-evolving technology landscape. The use of standard enterprise architecture roadmap activities and processes, provides a common vision that drives alignment of key IT capabilities and assets with business strategies. We provide details of the required architecture governance and examples of roadmaps

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Problem Statement

Despite the recognition for business-IT alignment, does it in fact happen at a strategic level?

Are planning and investment decisions (including skills) for core IT services and capabilities synchronized and driven by unified strategy, or do they occur in silos?

For example, are planning activities for SOA capability coordinated with those for testing services and other core application system assets, and do any of the plans line up with strategic business needs?

How do we ensure that core IT services planning is synchronized and aligned with strategy to achieve long-term business – IT alignment while meeting short- term business needs?

“In spite of the unequivocal recognition of the need for Business - IT Alignment, the corporate IT departments continue to operate thru the silos of Enterprise Architecture, Application Development and Operations. In order to become a true business enabler, IT must not only deliver services fast but also ensure smooth and cost-effective operations. This requires a holistic approach to designing, delivering and managing IT services across the service lifecycle and mandates systematic integration of processes and tools across Enterprise Architecture, Application Development, and IT Operations.”

Integrate 2010 Conference Statement

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The Elusive Goal of Alignment

Strategies are not clear enough to directly act upon

Multiple interpretations of business priorities

Build IT solutions driven by multiple priorities rather than building IT capabilities

IT initiatives deliver separate solutions in piecemeal fashion often uncoordinated and misaligned with each other

Business – IT alignment may be (mis)defined or limited to delivering solutions for various business priorities and needs

Governance is limited to aligning individual initiatives with individual IT solutions

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Planning for the New Business-IT Reality

Can no longer treat IT systems and disciplines as silos

IT environments have become complex, highly integrated and interdependent

No longer able to deal with individual systems or solutions by themselves

Changes to one part of the environment impacts many others

Skills need to cross system boundaries and IT disciplines

Systems and capabilities continue to evolve, changing over several years

IT planning is comparable to city planning

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Link Strategy to Planning and Execution in a Holistic Manner

Adopt an enterprise approach to plan and prioritize in alignment with strategy.

Utilize enterprise architecture processes to transform business strategies and needs into actionable plans.

Focus on key business and IT capabilities instead of individual solutions.

Business Capability: Describes what the business must be able to do at a specific level of maturity to meet specific goals and objectives. Describes business needs at a more granular level in terms of “the ability to…”.

IT Capability : Describes cross-cutting skills, technologies and processes that IT must have at a specific level of maturity to enable multiple business solutions. An IT capability is broad and not specific to any one business solution. Examples include portal, business intelligence, user computing, enterprise service bus, workflow, content management, security, etc.

Plan development and maturing of IT capabilities including skills in a coordinated fashion to meet strategic needs.

Implement governance and metrics to ensure alignment and adaptability for plans that span multiple years.

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Asset Management

Portfolio Management

Business Architecture

IT Architecture

Alignment Model

Architecture Vision

(Core EA)

IT Capability Roadmaps

Business Capability Roadmaps

Strategic Business

Needs

Business Goals and Strategies

Corporate Operating

Model

Directional Principles

Reference Architectures & Standards

Portfolio Projects

Asset Enhancements

Business Plans

Industry Trends

Industry Trends

Health & Risk

Analysis

Currency Plans

Dep

ende

ncie

s

Governance & MetricsAsset

Portfolio Roadmaps

Project Portfolio

Plans

Individual Asset

RoadmapsAsset Plans

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In Line With the TOGAF ADM

Roadmaps: Current state, target state, intermediate stages

Execution: Manage interfaces with planning and execution of projects & initiatives

Governance and Metrics: Ensure projects and initiatives are building architectures in alignment with roadmaps

Establish the vision

The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)Architecture Development Method (ADM)

- TOGAF v 9

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Roadmaps

A roadmap is a visual representation of a transition from the as-is architecture to the envisioned to-be architecture.

To be a useful tool for more tactical planning and budgeting processes, it shows important milestones along the route and the dependencies between them.

A good roadmap provides the information required for fast and efficient decision making, allowing you to assess your progress along the "driving" route and identify possible problems.

Destination = Business Goal

Map = Roadmap

Sign Posts = Milestones

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Key Attributes of a Successful Enterprise Roadmap

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Business & IT Capability Roadmaps

Business capability roadmaps identify the current state, desired end state and interim states of business capabilities for one or more business functions. The boundaries of the business capability roadmaps can be defined using industry standard component business models.

IT Capability roadmaps identify the current and desired maturity level, for a given IT capability along with a series of interim states that transition from current to desired over increasing stages of maturity. It identifies the people, process and other technology dependencies required for each transitional state.

An IT capability roadmap builds consensus about a set of needs and the technologies required to satisfy those needs; assists in forecasting technology developments; and, establishes a framework to plan and coordinate technology developments.

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Creating Effective IT Capability Roadmaps

Focus on strategic IT capabilities like: Portal, SOA, Enterprise Content Management, etc…

Select a standard maturity model and assess your IT capabilities based on the selected model.

Identify current state based on your maturity model.

Identify future state based on your business and asset roadmaps

Identify key IT capabilities that will be built at each maturity level

Identify key business capabilities and benefits at each maturity level

Identify implications on skills and existing processes

Involve and get buy-in from your Leadership Team and key stakeholders.

Expect to spend 5% creating the roadmap and 95% communicating it to your organization.

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SOA Roadmap Example

Basic Standardized Advanced Dynamic

SOA maturity SOA focused on Simple Quick Win Projects

SOA Applied to Existing Portfolio Projects

SOA Focused on Business Process Automation and Improvement

SOA Quantitatively Managed Monitoring Business Processes for Business Process Automation

Process Delivery process structured around applications, projects and LOB

-

Delivery process structured around delivery of services

- Adoption of RUP SOA

-Business Process Modeling-Complete lifecycle governance for services, processes, and business rules

- Process to capture NFRs

and SLAs

-Automated governance processes

- Charge back process

People -

Development groups siloed

by department -

People aligned with SOA roles and responsibilities

-Promotion of process-centric skills in IT communities

- Initial formation of knowledge centers/ SOA center of excellence

-SOA center of excellence established

- Process owners are empowered to drive optimization of business processes

Technologies -

Basic service infrastructure; support for core WS standards wsdl, soap, xml

-

Security, logging and auditing policies in code rather than using a gateway solution

-

Initial project level use of ESB and BPEL for service integration and orchestration

BPM, MDA, BAM BAM, BPEL, BPM, BRMS

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SOA Roadmap – Technology View

Maturity Level Basic Standardized Advanced Dynamic

IT Capability -

Services Boundaries-

Basic Security-

Basic Governance

-

Enterprise Security -

Enterprise Governance

-

Service Discoverability

- Advanced Monitoring

-

Process Modeling-

Process Management-

Policy Management

- Composable

business processes

- Self Service-

Single Sign On-

Rule Driven Policies

Technologies & Frameworks

-

Enterprise Models-

Application Server to support basic service infrastructure and tools with support for core WS standards wsdl, soap, xml

-

Security, logging and auditing policies captured in code rather than using a gateway Solution

- Application Server

-

Enterprise Service Bus

-

Application Server-

SOA Testing Tool-

Service Registry and Repository

-

Reusable Asset Manager

-

Access Manager-

Identity Manager

-

Process Server-

Advanced Enterprise Service

-

Model Driven Architecture

- Portal-

Business Activity Monitoring tools,

-

Process Server-

Business Rule Manager

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Applications & Services Security Roadmap

Maturity Level I Level II Level III Level IVWeb Applications -Custom Security (Legacy

App)-Custom Security (Legacy App)

-JEE Security

- JEE Security -JEE Security

LDAP Directories -Sun One-Active Directory

- Sun One- Active Directory

-Single LDAP (Active Directory)

Single LDAP Directory

Services Not secured. Deployed in trusted zone

Not secured. Deployed in trusted zone

- Support Role propagation through JEE framework (limited to distributed services

-WS Security( Encryption, Signature)

-WS Context

- WS-Security for mainframe services

-WS Context

Mainframe Client ACF2 ACF2 ACF2 - Enable WS-Security for mainframe consumers

- Enable SSL

Application Server - Websphere Application Server

-Weblogic-Tomcat

- Websphere Application Server

- Weblogic-Tomcat-MQ Security

- Websphere Application Server

-Tomcat-MQ Security-MQ Audit Trail

- Websphere Application Server

-Tomcat-MQ Security-MQ Audit Trail

Reduced Sign On Custom implementation -Custom implementation-LTPA

- LTPA- JEE Security- SAML

-Portal-Access Manager (SSO)

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Governance

Architecture Governance:The mechanism, including essential change processes, by which

enterprise architectures are managed and controlled at an enterprise- wide level. [after TOGAF Version 9]

Metrics:Specific descriptions defining the ideal target values, prescribing the

measurement processes, and the interpretation of the assessment. [after COBIT 4.1]

How do we ensure that core IT services planning is synchronized and aligned with strategy to achieve long-term business – IT alignment while meeting short-term business needs?

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Alignment at the Strategic-Tactical Boundary

To drive, support, and ensure IT inter- discipline alignment and integration:

Build Architecture Governance top- down from business to IT

Favor proactive governance over reactive

Build Metrics top-down from business to IT

Utilize the fewest Metrics necessary to verify and validate ‘Success’

Remember, you can always improve!

Identify the value exchanged at each interface

Business-IT interfaces

IT inter-discipline interfaces

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A Governance Structure for Roadmaps

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Execution and Results

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Multi-Level Governance

Level 1 – Embedded in Planning and Delivery Process

IT Strategy and EA ArchitectureAlignment

(Project Start Architecture)

Architecture Issue Resolution, Escalation,

or Elevation

Architecturally Significant Work Product

Creation and Review

Technical Guidance and Enablement

Architectural Risk Mitigation

Level 2 – Architecture Review Board (ARB)

Administration

SAG Metrics and Reporting

Architecture Review Meeting Administration

Governance

Target Architecture Review

Architecture Issue Resolution and

Exception Management

Gate Sign-Off L1 Governance Monitoring

Level 3 – IT Leadership Team

Executive Oversight and Sponsorship

Architecture Issue Arbitration

Level 4 – IT Steering Committee

Architecture Issue Arbitration

CoordinationDomain Standards and Governance Alignment

Technical Impact and Trends Communication

Cross-Project Impact

Harvest Reference Architectures

Coordination

Portfolio Planning

IT Capability Planning and Roadmaps

Architecture Issue Elevation and EscalationSolution Architecture for Review

Architecture Decision(Exception or Compliance)

Reviewed Solution Architecture

Architecture Issue EscalationCommunication, Reporting

Architecture Decision(Exception or Compliance)

Architecture Issue EscalationArchitecture Decision

(Exception or Compliance)

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Conclusions

Despite the recognition for business-IT alignment, does it in fact happen at a strategic level?

Use Enterprise Architecture processes and frameworks to build linkages between business strategies and IT execution

Are planning and investment decisions (including skills) for core IT services and capabilities synchronized and driven by unified strategy, or do they occur in silos?

Use roadmaps to capture, plan, and coordinate the strategic IT initiatives planned over a multi-year horizon in a holistic manner in alignment business needs and to ensure focus on the right business and IT capabilities.

How do we ensure that core IT services planning is synchronized and aligned with strategy to achieve long-term business – IT alignment while meeting short- term business needs?

Use governance and metrics to ensure that projects and other initiatives are executing the roadmaps and getting the intended results.

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Q & A

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Thank You!